Work In Progress (S5 Finale)
by FFextraordinary01
Summary: Three months have passed since that fateful day Kate said no, its time to fix things. RC POV
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Work In Progress

Summary: It's been three months since that fateful day, since Kate said no and walked away. It's time to make things right.

Pairing: R. Castle and K. Beckett

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Words: 6270

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RC POV:

The loft had long since fallen into darkness, I couldn't be bothered to get up and switch on the lights, the only light was coming from a dim lamp in the corner of my office. Its gentle light falling short of illuminating me, I was enshrouded in darkness.

More metaphorically than anything else, it had been a very dark time for me.

And it was all because of her.

_Kate._

She had meant the world to me and I had foolishly thought that I would be able to be everything that she needed, be able to make her happy. We had had our share of problems during the course of our relationship, but nothing ended a relationship quicker than a rejected marriage proposal and a flight to another city.

I had wanted to fight, to keep on trying, but in the end, I just hadn't been able to. My will to fight had evaporated the moment she had said no, told me that she had already accepted the job, that we were over.

We were over.

It had been a bitter pill to swallow; it still caught in my throat even now three months later.

I had thought that we were happy together, that we were working, that it was for the long haul, for always. I had meant it when I had promised her always; I wasn't one to make promises lightly. And neither was she.

She wasn't the easiest woman in the world, everything was a battle with her, but I had been willing to go to war with her for her.

Yet the moment something better came along, she immediately went after it. Always running, from one thing or another, it didn't matter what. It was who she was, nothing would change it, and I had thought that I could. But my delusions had been well and truly shattered.

My eyes drifted shut, sleep hadn't been coming easy to me since she left, most nights I couldn't even sleep in my own bed. I was constantly reminded that she wasn't there anymore when I did so, that she was gone, no longer a part of my life. The side that she had claimed lay empty. The bed was far too large, empty, for me now.

My eyes had been closed for all of a moment before her face flashed behind my closed lids.

I hated that it constantly happened; nothing I had done so far could keep her out of my mind. No rest from her even when I was trying to sleep, she was a constant in my mind, during my waking hours I couldn't stop thinking about her and everything that we had shared and that had happened, and during the evenings my mind conjured up images and memories of her.

Some I knew were nothing but dreams, yet they hurt the most. Dreaming about her moving into the loft, going on holiday together to some exotic island, getting married, her carrying our child, playing with our child, it was those dreams that hurt more than any memory could.

Well, except for her rejection when I proposed, that had been heart breaking and nothing would be able to change the fact that she had said no.

Getting to my feet, I made my way out of my office and straight out of the front door. I didn't have a destination in mind; all I knew was that I needed to escape from the loft where we had shared so much, that I needed some sort of distraction to distance my thoughts of her.

The elevator dinged, signalling its arrival. Staring at it for a moment longer, I stepped away turning instead towards the stairs. I didn't want to go down anymore; instead I wanted to go up. I fumbled with the lock on the door, eager to just get out onto the rooftop.

The rain hit hard and fast as I stumbled out onto the deserted rooftop, within moments I was completely soaked. My hair weighed down by the rain hung limply as my clothes got soak and clung to my now cold body.

I approached the ledge closest to me, my hands rising of their own accord to hold onto the fence that I had petitioned and paid for when Alexis and I had moved into the loft. I remember having been shown the loft and falling in love with it, thinking that it was perfect for the two of us, but when I had seen that the rooftop was open, I had almost walked away from the loft.

I had always been a protective father, sometimes too much so according to others. Alexis was the best thing that had ever happened in my life, and I never wanted anything to happen to her. So I had paid to have the rooftop completely fenced in.

I thought back to all the times I had been up here, thankful that not once had I been up here with Kate. This place was full of pleasant memories most of which involved Alexis. I had spent days writing in the sun up here when I couldn't escape to the Hamptons and doing summer science projects with Alexis.

Happy memories, memories of a time before Kate came into my life.

The first time I had seen her was vivid in my mind, I would never forget the night she had come waltzing up to me at my own event with a badge in hand. She knew how to make a first impression.

I stared out at the sea of lights before me from my vantage point as the rain poured down, blinking away the drops owlishly time to time. But the rain didn't bother me, if anything it was something that I welcomed.

When my hands started to get numb from the chilling cold, I made my way back to the stairs. My eyes were swollen, the rain having allowed me to get my pent up emotions out. My tears had mingled freely with the rain drops that had been cascading down my face, the two blending seamlessly together.

I tracked water in, not caring that I was getting the nice tilling of my floor wet. As I approached the door to my home, something caused me to look away from my feet and towards the door instead.

Kate.

She was here…

Phone pressed to ear, staring at the door intently.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I had never been able to stop staring at her, most of the times I hadn't even realized that I had been staring. But once I looked at her, it took an almost physical strength to stop, to pry my eyes away from her.

I must have made some sort of sound, although what it could have been I had no idea, the only thing that existed in this moment was her.

Our eyes met, her entrancing green holding mine captive.

I knew I was staring this time around; forcefully I tore my gaze away from her. Looking back down at my feet again, as my mind became a whirlwind of thought, yet it returned to the same thought over and over again.

She was here.

She was right in front of me, mere feet away from me for the first time in three months.

"Rick."

Her voice was gentle yet thick with emotion, my name had never sounded so intimate and tender before. I couldn't stop myself from looking back up at her; she was facing me completely, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.

She looked pleading and earnest.

The expression on her face served as a sharp reminder to me, a reminder of just what had happened between us. Of what I had been going through these last three months since she left.

Anger, hurt, bitterness, rejection, confusion, everything came rushing into my body in that moment threatening to knock me off of my feet as I stared at her. Laying eyes on her for the first time in three months, the last time I had seen her was the day I had proposed. The day she had turned her back on me, rejected not only the proposal, but me and what we had.

"Rick please let me explain." She pleaded her tone urgent.

But her words fell on deaf ears; I had no need for an explanation. It was simple enough to understand, in typical Kate Beckett fashion she had fled, no longer blissfully happy with me and our relationship. I didn't need her to go into detail, the mere fact that she had turned her back on me, on us, was painful enough already.

I stepped past her, shoving my key into the door. I wanted to get away from her, as far as possible, seeing Kate did nothing to ease my pain, it just made it even worse. I had to get away from her.

I pushed the door closed forcefully, leaning against the solid wood with my back. It was the only shield I now had between her and me.

The last three months had not been kind to me; I had been lonely for most of them, what with Alexis off on her trip and mother gallivanting around. The 12th was no longer an option for me, even though Gates had offered to let me stay on when Beckett left, I just couldn't be there. Not with the knowledge that she would never be there again.

The boys had called, inviting me to join them on cases, trying to cheer me up with boy's night out and such. But, the truth is that they had always been her friends first and nothing was going to change that even with her moving to DC. Everyone had tried to make it better for me, even Lanie.

Yet I couldn't bring myself to move on, to see them and spend time with them, knowing that she wasn't going to show.

She had consumed every part of my life, I could barely even write more than a handful of words before my thoughts drifted to her. Wondering if she would read my next book, what she would think of the characters, the plot, everything about my life revolved around her in some way or another.

Even coffee, I hadn't had a cup of coffee in more than two months.

I could hear her shuffling on the other side of the door, naturally I was curious as to what she was doing but I wouldn't give into my curiosity. Instead, with a ramrod back and head held high, I stepped away from the door.

If only this anger and sudden pride had come sooner to me, maybe then I would have already been over her. Able to move on with my life, have the ability to look her in the eye and not have to give in to the urge to flee. To run away, that was her way of dealing with things not mine.

I was a forgiving man, I knew that I wasn't perfect and I would never be perfect but I could be kind and generous. I knew that many had taken advantage of my nature over the years, using me for one reason or another, and for the most part I had never truly minded. But Kate had done it one too many times now.

Truth is I would have followed her to DC if she had been honest with me from the start. If she had told me about the interview, I would have been supportive because I knew that there was no way that she wasn't going to get it. I would have packed up my life here in the city that never sleeps, and just followed her.

I would have given anything and everything, willingly, if it meant that I could be with her. She was all that I had ever wanted, just her, nothing else mattered but her.

But she had kept it a secret and had lied to me about everything, and turned everything around when I had found out the truth to make it seem as if though it was my fault. I hadn't handled things as well as I could have, I knew that now, but then I had been so hurt and angry at her for the lies and secrets.

Lies and secrets, I had had more than enough of them to last me a life time. I had thought that when we got together that there would be no lies or secrets between us, but that had been foolish of me. I had done a lot of foolish things it would seem, some days I had found myself regretting ever having meet her when the depression of her departure and the rejection of her refusal to marry me truly set in.

I leaned against the wall, still soaking wet and shivering, I didn't have the strength to continue on. I had no strength or will to move on from her. Nor did I have the strength to drag myself even further in to the loft, instead I slid down against the wall into a heap on the floor.

My eyes locked on the door.

I had closed the door between us this time.

It was for the best at least that was what I was trying to tell myself, that it was for the best to have a clean break from her. That she would only hurt me again if I let her in. It already hurt so much, I was certain that I wouldn't be able to take much more and remain sane.

"Always…" The word slipped from my mouth unconsciously.

Only to echo into my strangely empty mind.

I gripped my knees tighter to my chest, lowering my head to rest on them. The word that seemed so juvenile at times truly meant a lot to me, it had been my way of saying what I had been unable to voice for so long. I had been determined to always be there for her no matter what, as a friend, partner, lover, anything. I had been willing and eager.

Perhaps I had been too willing and eager.

I was lost in my own world when I heard the door opening; I couldn't even bring myself to look up at the sound. All I wanted right now was to stay this way, to remain lost in my thoughts by myself. In my own little world, where I could hide away from everything and everyone, not have to face anything that I didn't want to.

Not have to face her.

Her foot falls were gentle, soft on the tiled floor, yet everyone rang out loudly in my ears. I absently noted that they were cautious, timid, which was so very much unlike her.

I felt her sitting down next to me, still so very silent. I had had a lot of silence lately; it was one of the consequences of spending all of my time alone.

She remained perfectly still next to me.

The scent of cherries surrounded her like usual, it was a scent that I had loved, now though it just felt like another knife to the heart.

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to man up. To stop cowering away, I could do that later when I was alone. Whatever she was here for couldn't possibly take too long, hopefully. And once she left, like she always does in the end, I would raid the kitchen for a strong drink.

Or several strong drinks.

I kept my eyes trained ahead of me, focusing on the artwork before me; I wouldn't look in her direction. If I did, I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop looking, and that my words would be lost.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice sounded raspy and rough even to my own ears.

"I'm meant to be here, here and not somewhere else, not anywhere else." Her voice was soft, tender and gentle.

But the note of determination in it reached even my ears, her words though felt hollow. She had left and nothing was ever going to change that, no amount of apologies and heartfelt explanations. No amount of determination on her part to set things right was going to change the fact that she had left, or simply erase the last three months of pain and longing.

Bitterness was quick to swell within me at her words, her previous rejections a driving force for it.

"I doubt that." I muttered through clenched teeth.

The urge to rage against her for daring to even show her face was swelling up in me just as surely as the bitterness was, but I had never been one to give into anger. Preferring instead to be a calm and approachable person, this time though I felt no such need. I had spent three months longing and hating her, still in love with her, memories and fantasies colliding within my mind, three long months were just her very existence was a constant source of torment for me.

If something wanted out, it was getting out, be it anger or tears.

"Rick, I know I made a mistake. I know that." Her voice was soothing, that determination still lining her voice. "And I'm sorry, so sorry, but we can try again. I can try again, please just give me another chance. I can make this up to you."

Staring ahead blankly, her words reaching my ears easily but I couldn't listen to them any longer. A mistake was how she viewed what she had done, to me, to us, yet to me what she had done was to smash my heart into pieces and betray me more than anyone else ever had. This was no simple mistake to me.

It wasn't something that I could just casually get over, shrug my shoulders and smile while saying all is forgiven. Nothing about this entire situation would ever be forgiven.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see her mouth moving, forming words, but I heard none of them. A low buzzing filled my ears, I felt disconnected, numb. I blinked slowly, each time it was harder to open my eyes than before. I felt a shiver go down my spine; I absently realized that I was still soaking wet from my little trip up to the rooftop.

I felt her grabbing a hold of my arm, dragging me to my feet, I stumbled uselessly. Curling in on myself as much as possible while standing up, her tight grip on my arm brought me back to reality. She was leading me further into the loft, her grip on me not faltering for even a moment.

Stepping into my bedroom with her had my senses on high alert; I could remember the last time we had been here together. Everything had been perfect for me, we had been happy together or so I had foolishly believed, but she hadn't been happy. What we had had together hadn't been enough for her.

I hadn't been enough for her.

I turned to look at her, staring at her face. She was still beautiful to me now even after everything that she had put me through. I realized at that exact moment that I would always love this woman, that I would always be hopelessly in love with her, and that nothing would make me stop loving her.

"Why?" I spoke quietly yet in the silence of the loft, it felt loud.

"What?" She asked quietly, turning to face me and looking into my eyes, as we stumbled our way through the bedroom and into the bathroom.

"Why?" I repeated slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. "Why did you… Why wasn't I…?"

I trailed off, my brow furrowed as I tried to voice what I was thinking. Normally words came easy to me, sometimes I battled to say what I needed to when it was personal, but the words always came to me. Yet, now I couldn't even piece together a single sentence, a question that I desperately needed to hear the answer of.

"Not now, first we need to get you warmed up." She muttered quietly, not meeting my eyes as her fingers started to unbutton my shirt.

I stared down at her, knowing that I was staring but not caring, I needed to know. I had to know what it was that I didn't do and what it was that I could have done to make things better. To make her want to stay, but I was afraid of what the answer could be.

That maybe there was the possibility that I wouldn't have been able to do anything, that no matter what I had tried it just wouldn't have worked. That I just wasn't enough no matter what.

I grabbed a hold of her hands, pulling them away from my body. I looked away from her, before glancing back at her and taking a step away. I needed to put some space between us, some distance. She had always been the one who needed space and distance, time to think about things, now I needed some space.

I needed some very literal space from her.

"Get out." My voice was tense, strained.

But the message was delivered, her eyes dropped to the floor but not before I saw pain flash across her face. I felt a strange sort of vindictive satisfaction at seeing her in pain, at having caused her pain. When the moment passed, I felt sick.

I felt sick to my stomach at myself.

I had never been the type to enjoy or be pleased at someone else's pain. I felt nauseated with myself; she left the bathroom without another word, closing the door behind herself. I made no move to stop her or even attempt to say something, just standing quietly as she made her way out of the room.

With a sigh, I turned on the hot water in the shower before stripping off my wet clothes. The water instantly warmed me up; I leaned against the tiles, closing my eyes as the hot water pounded down on me relentlessly. With my eyes closed, my thoughts started to run rampant again.

Several long minutes later and I finally got out of the shower, drying off roughly with a towel. The steam was fogging up the room only to rush out when I opened the bathroom door. I hastily got dressed, trying to stop thinking about her and what could have happened tonight if I hadn't told her to leave, to push her away.

But I couldn't stop my thoughts; she was constantly on my mind. Once I was dressed, I made my way out of the room heading to the kitchen; I wanted something warm to drink. A nice cup of hot chocolate would be perfect right now.

I stumbled to an abrupt stop when the living room came into sight, she was still here. I stared at her for a few moments, not able to comprehend her presence. I hadn't thought that she would still be here; the possibility after I told her to leave had been non-existent to me.

I shook my head, my jaw clenching as words of anger wanted to spill from my mouth at her. But I held it in; I made my way to the kitchen. My hands unsteady as I went about making hot chocolate for myself, several spills later and I finally had a cup of hot chocolate. Turning around, I almost dropped the cup as I saw her standing by the counter.

There were bags under her eyes, she looked like she had lost weight since the last time I had seen her, her hair was dull and limp. It looked like she wasn't taking care of herself, a lump formed in my throat at the thought of her not taking proper care of herself. Not caring about herself or her health.

I wanted to say something, to ask her about it, but I couldn't do it. It was no longer my place; I had no say in her life. She had made that very clear to me the last time we had talked, it was her life as she had repeatedly emphasised to me. It was something that I had hated, that I had fought against, but in the end I didn't, couldn't, make her see my point of view in the slightest.

I had never been able to get her to see that things were meant to be about us, not just about her, trying to change her mind about anything was impossible. She was very stubborn when she wanted to be, downright impossible at times. There were very few things that could change her mind, over the years I had managed it only a handful of times.

The small amount of hope that had reluctantly settled into my chest at some point since I had seen her tonight had dimmed at my latest train of thought. I was determined to ignore it completely; I had no need for false hope.

"Rick please." Her voice was thick with emotion and the remnants of tears.

Her eyes were red and puffy from having cried, I stared into them for a moment. Wanting to comfort her but another part of me, just wanted to push it aside and ignore it. I had my own pain to deal with; I couldn't still take on hers, especially considering the fact that she was the one who had caused all my pain in the first place.

"I don't think there is anything left to say anymore." I said quietly.

"But-"She started, determination blazing in her eyes.

"Enough Kate!" I shouted out loudly, finally losing my temper.

I tossed the cup of hot chocolate carelessly into the sink, the sound of breaking glass being completely ignored by me.

"You left, lied to me, kept secrets. You made your choice and got the final say." I growled out between my teeth. "So don't come here, into my home after three months of nothing on your side, after rejecting me and then tell me what I have to do."

"Please." Her voice was soft, her hand reaching out to me.

I stared at her for a long moment, trying to decide what was for the best here. We were over; I knew that, there was only so much even I could take, and I had finally reached my limit. But I was still desperately, foolishly, in love with this woman. And nothing would ever be able to change that as I had realized earlier that evening.

She was everything to me, even if we weren't together; she still meant so very much to me. She had such an incredible hold over me, both directly and indirectly, she consumed me thoroughly.

I would never be able to get over her but perhaps some closure, no matter how minimal, would be better than none at all. And she was the only one who could give me that.

With a resigned sigh, my shoulders hunched as I stared at the ground, swallowing my angry and bitter words, I gave a single nod. Let her say her piece, some closure could only help me and if worse came to worse, I doubted that I would be able to hurt any more than I already did over everything.

"This was something that I had never imagined happening for me before, this job was more than I thought I would ever be able to achieve in my career." Her voice was soft and steady, easily reaching my ears. "And I wanted it so badly Rick, a new purpose, a grander achievement. It was everything I thought it would be, but DC isn't my home."

"I don't belong there, I don't belong somewhere were you aren't. I was clouded by my ambition, by the opportunity, I know that now. I just wanted it. And it cost me the one thing I wasn't willing to pay."

"I know I'm not the easiest person, that I can be difficult. Keep things close to my chest and just, not share. I know that, but with you, I want to share. I want to open up. You were right that day on the swings, you do deserve more."

"You could find some beautiful uncomplicated woman in the blink of an eye who would love you fiercely, who wouldn't be as difficult as I had been. But I know that neither one of us will ever be able to move on, not you and certainly not me."

"Just let me make it up to you, give me another chance. I promise that you won't regret it, won't regret me. Please Rick, I can make it alright again, just let me."

As she spoke, her voice gained confidence, capturing my attention even more. I stared at her face, taking in her eyes, the slight flush to her cheeks. She was determined, fierce and believed everything that she was saying. She was willing and ready to jump back in.

Both feet this time it would seem.

But I couldn't say the same about me, her words no matter how passionate they were, would never be able to take away the hurt that I had been experiencing for the last three months. The ache of her rejection sat heavily on my chest, only slightly loosened by her words. Yet, cynically, I wondered if it would ever disappear if I were to give into what she wanted.

What she wanted…

It was always about her, about her needs and wants. Her life, her decisions, and her options. I was startled out of my thoughts as her hand landed on my arm but I pulled away from her touch abruptly.

"It's your life, right?" The words that had been bouncing around my mind found their way out of my mouth.

"Rick please, I was foolish. Scared, just…" She ended with a quiet sigh, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "I made a mistake that was one of them, it's our life. Not just mine, I know that now, please believe me."

"Three months of nothing, after rejecting my offer of marriage, the lies and betrayal, and you think that just showing up at my doorstep with a few words is going to fix everything?" I asked incredulously, staring right at her.

And it was true, she had probably expected me to forgive and forget everything that had happened, to just jump into this thing with her again. To be willing, willing to accept an apology and just be glad to have her back in my life.

But, I had changed over the last three months.

I would have welcomed her back with open arms and a forgiving heart before and be willing to forget about the pain that she had put me through. But this wasn't one of those times.

Too much time had passed, too much had happened.

"Rick…" Her voice was unsteady, confusion clear on her face.

A puppy could only be kicked so many times before it snapped at its master's hand, and I had reached my limit. I had been her puppy willing to accept whatever she would give me, taking anything and everything that she tossed my way and savouring it, pleased with it. I had been right that day at the swings, just like she said, I had been right.

I did deserve more.

"You right, I was right. I do deserve more." I voiced quietly, feeling determination and resolution filling me for the first time in a long time.

The last time I had felt this determined about anything, I had gotten down on one knee with a ring in my hand before this woman and had proposed.

But that had been three months ago.

"No wait, Rick, please… I…" She was floundering, lost at sea because she hadn't been prepared for this.

She wasn't prepared for me to stand up for myself, to have an ounce of self-worth. She had truly expected me to just welcome her back, to let the past be the past and just tell her that everything was okay and forgiven.

She fumbled with something in her pocket, her hands clumsy as she stumbled down onto her knees before me. Her hand finally leaving her pocket, I noticed a flash of gold in her hand for a moment before she held out a gold band to me.

"Marry me?" She asked her eyes pleading with me, her lip trembling as she stared up at me and my undoubtedly shocked face.

I stared at her, not understanding what was happening in this moment. She had come armed with a speech, willing to take my harsh words, and now at my refusal to accept her apology, she was on her knees before me holding out a ring and asking me to marry her.

"Kate?" I asked, hoping that she would help me to understand just what was going on here.

"Rick, the moment I got on that plane I knew that I had made a mistake. Hell, the moment I said no. When you get a hold of something good, of that special someone, you never meant to let go. But I did, I've regretted it every day since then. You, Rick, are my special someone, my one and done."

"I promise to be here no matter what, to keep on trying to earn your forgiveness, to be the woman that you deserve. I love you, am in love with you, and that will never change."

"Will you marry me?"

I stared down at her, my mouth agape as my mind churned to a halt. I didn't know what to think. It seemed so sudden, there was so much that we hadn't talked about, I wasn't even certain if I would ever be able to forgive her for what she had done. And yet, here she was before me.

On her knees, a ring in her hand, asking me to marry her.

Kate Beckett was many things; most of them were good qualities yet some not so much. I had never expected for her to be the one to ask such a question of someone, of me.

Especially not after everything that had happened.

We locked eyes, hers telling me everything that I needed to know in this moment.

There was a lot that we had to work through, a lot that had to be talked over, forgiven. But as she knelt before me, her heart in her expressive eyes as she stared up at me, I knew that there was only one real answer that I could give her.

There had never been another option; there would never be another option for me.

She often drove me mad with her stubbornness, her little quirks sometimes made me want to pull out my hair, her lack of being enthused by the latest game had me rolling my eyes at her and heaving a suffering sigh. I could live with those things.

The one thing that I couldn't live without though, was her.

"Yes." My voice was rough, emotions swelling up within me that I couldn't name. "Yes, I'll marry you."

This wouldn't just magically fix everything though, hard work and determination was needed for that, the will to want to fix it though still lingered inside of me. And it was getting stronger and stronger with every moment that passed.

I had realized tonight that she was the only woman I would ever love, the only woman that I ever wanted to love in this way.

And as long as that was true, I was more than willing to keep on trying.

The pain of the last three months would ease, the sting of her previous rejection already soothing over at her own proposal, we would be okay.

I would be okay as long as she was with me.

Not only would I be okay though, I would be happy. We would be happy together.

She got to her feet, the relief at my acceptance making her unsteady. I reached out to help steady her; it wasn't even a conscious move on my part. Already I was healing, everything was because of her.

She was the only one who could break my heart yet she was also the only one who could fix it, mend it.

Kate.

"I love you." She whispered to me, her eyes staring into mine as she slid the band onto my finger.

I stared down at our clasped hands between our bodies, hers looking small as they tangled with my larger ones. We fit though; we always had, like two pieces of a puzzle.

She made me complete, she made me whole. I had always been the sappy one between the two of us, the romantic. I wouldn't have it any other way.

"What now?" I asked softly, staring down at the gold band on my finger.

"I'm home, we home. I think it's time for our happily ever after." She breathed quietly, her finger swiping over the ring gently.

"Here?" I asked wanting clarification, certainty, to know that we were on the same page.

"Yes, here." She answered firmly, before her voice softened to that tender tone that could melt me from the inside out. "Always."

"Always." I answered, promised back, looking into her eyes.

She was my always.

FIN.

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AN: In typical Castle fashion the finale was another fantastic episode but I could do without the cliff hanger. I will surely be mad by the time the next season starts up, why couldn't they just let her answer him before ending it?!

Hope you guys enjoyed this, happy reading. Please feel free to leave a review or PM me with a request you might have.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Work In Progress (S5 Finale)

Pairing: R. Castle and K. Beckett

Summary: A look at things from Kate's POV

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle

Words: 6 392

AN: This was originally meant to be a one-shot, a quick little story, however I have received several requests for more. I know what it feels like when the story is cut short, leaving you wanting more, so here I am with another chapter for 'Work In Progress'. Have you guys checked out my new story 'One Time Too Many' yet?

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KB POV:

Lying on my side, I stared at the empty side of my bed. The sheets were smooth, not tangled or twisted from a passionate night, there wasn't an indent on the pillow from where somebody had laid there head. It was a depressing sight, another reminder that he just wasn't here anymore.

As if though I needed another reminder, I was perfectly aware of the fact that he was gone, that we were no longer a part of each other's lives.

And that it was my entire fault that I had been the one to run, to place so much distance between us. Distance that I doubted would ever be bridged, not after what I had done. Not after the way I had handled things and treated him.

The sheets were undisturbed except for the fact that my hand was clutching at them. It must have moved of its own accord some time during the night, no doubt seeking him out, the warmth and comfort that only he could provide. It was something that I would never have again.

This job had blinded me to what truly mattered, I had been blinded by ambition and the need to prove myself and in the process I had lost the thing that meant the most to me. The person that meant the most to me and no job in the world would make that right, or replace him.

I had given up my home, friends and family alike, for this job.

And I was unhappy, depressingly so. Not a day went by when I didn't regret my decision, longed for what I had once had. Yet it wouldn't change anything, I had to live with the consequences of my decision now.

I rolled over onto my back, glancing briefly at the alarm clock while doing so. It was almost time to get up, to start another day, to get to work. A job that I was starting to hate more and more, but it was my only comfort now, my only distraction although it was a poor one. It could only keep my thoughts away from him for but a few moments.

Slowly I got up, dragging my feet as I got ready for the day ahead of me. Yet another day that I wasn't looking forward to in the slightest, another day spent without him.

My apartment was empty, barren of any personal affects. I didn't have the heart to decorate it, or even unpack the few things that I had brought along. This wasn't my home; it would never be my home for New York was my home. The only place I wanted to be was by his side, the place I felt most at home at.

It was the place that I felt safe and loved, wanted and cherished.

But it was all gone, thrown carelessly away and I had no one but myself to blame for what had happened. For the situation I now found myself in, alone in a new city, no friends or family to lean on for support.

The memory of him kneeling before me, eyes piercing blue as they stared at me intently, with a ring in his hand suddenly came to mind. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, recalling the events of that day, that moment. The pain that gripped my heart tightly was deserved.

I would never be able to be punished enough for what I had put him through.

I was a glutton for punishment, accepting it without so much as flinch and willing more to come my way. The last time I had been this way was when my mother had passed away, I had been distant, lost as I tried to navigate what had become of my life.

I had built up walls over the years to protect myself, to keep from getting hurt but in the end, I still got hurt. And this time around it was because of the walls, because I was too guarded, not caring about how my actions would affect others.

Not caring about how my actions would affect him.

I wanted to curl up from the pain that loomed in my chest that took over every waking moment that I had as well as those that I spent trying to rest. But I didn't deserve even a single moment's reprieve from them.

When I had first started this job, this lofty job, I had thought that I would be out in the field more often than not. However in the three months that I had been here, I could count the number of times I had been out in the field on my fingers with more than a few to spare.

I missed the action, having adrenalin course through my veins as I chased someone down, all I done now was sit behind a desk and fill out paper work. I hated it, I hated everything about DC, but I kept my mouth shut and my head down and just went through the motions without complaint.

And even if I did want to complain about the situation I now found myself in, be it works wise or the lack of friends, there was no one to complain to about it. Everyone that I cared about, that had supported and cared about me, was still in New York. I was completely alone here.

When I reached the agency, I settled in behind my desk ready for another day of paperwork. I arrived early in the morning and left late at night, trying to spend as little time as possible in my new apartment. I hated the place.

I just wanted to go home and curl up with him, home being the loft.

Throughout the day all I could think about was him, I was exhausted beyond belief, having had trouble sleeping over the last three months. Even as I nearly feel asleep behind my desk I still refused myself the luxury of coffee. I had only had one cup since moving to DC.

I had managed only a single sip of it before spitting it out.

So much had changed in my life over the last three months, all for the worse. I was lonely, in a completely strange place without anyone to talk to or depend upon, my new apartment was empty and void of anything personal, even my wardrobe hadn't escaped unscathed. All I wore now a day was a plain black suit to work, and when I wasn't working just sweats and a large shirt of his that still held a bare trace of his unique scent.

There were so many things that I missed about him, his warmth and comfort, the safety that I felt when he held me, his charming smiles and crazy theories. There wasn't a thing that I didn't miss, even the things that had once drove me mad and frustrated me, and I now missed dearly. I just wanted him back.

I needed him back in my life, but I wasn't good enough for him, he deserved better than me. He always had, before we had gotten together I had tried to change, to become whole and a better person for him, and I had thought it was working but sadly I had been wrong. No matter how hard I tried to become better, to improve, I still wasn't good enough for him.

I didn't deserve him, he had been right that day at the swings, he did deserve better.

He was a good man with a kind heart who loved fiercely, and I had been underserving of that love. It had never been the other way around, I had pushed him away, determined to ignore what he felt about me believing that he was nothing more than an arrogant play boy. But I had been wrong, so very wrong.

Over the years I had seen him grow, watched as his true personality came to the surface that of a good and kind-hearted man. A man who deserved the very best, not some broken woman who couldn't tell him just what he meant to her, who had to hide and run when things got overwhelming, in short not me.

When things had been at a standstill between us, I had blamed him for it, believing that he was dragging his feet and unwilling to get serious about us. I had felt unappreciated, frustrated and confused. Over the last three months though I had come to the realization that it was my fault that we had been at a standstill in our relationship, my fault that we weren't moving forward and progressing along.

I had made him scared and insecure with the way that I had behaved in the past, fleeing as far as possible with a moment's notice when things got too much for me. I had always dictated the way that our relationship grew, having to control everything and he had accepted it. Yet, for a reason that I couldn't understand I had blamed him for not taking charge.

There were a lot of things that I blamed him for, a lot of times that I had been unfair towards him. He truly did deserve better than me, the knowledge that I had treated him in such a way made me sick to my stomach.

I should have held on tight to him when I had had the chance and let him know just how much he truly meant to me. Instead I had been distant at times, hiding behind my walls, unfair and downright cruel to him. I wish that I could go back in time and make things right, treat him the way that he deserved.

When I got to my apartment that night, I locked the door behind me before taking a seat on the couch. I wasn't hungry; my appetite had all but disappeared causing me to lose a drastic amount of weight over the last three months. I just simply wasn't hungry; I wasn't in the mood for anything, even something as simple as food.

The only thing that I wanted was to return to New York, to return to him.

But things would never be okay between us again, would never return to the way that they were. I would never be held by him, get to be at his side and hear his voice rasp out my name during the night as he slept or in the early hours of the morning when he woke up, I would never get to see him beam at me again.

I would have none of that ever again; I had forfeited so much when I had decided to take this job, things that truly mattered to me. I had given them all up for this job, this meaningless job.

There were so many things that I had wanted with him, for not only myself but for us. Marriage, kids, the whole nine yards and the American dream. He was my 'one and done' and now he was gone.

The life that we should have had together, the future that should be ours, was gone, over, before it even truly got started. And it was my entire fault; I had been selfish and cruel. Wrapped up in myself instead of concentrating on what was important, us.

My gaze landed on the book that was lying on the coffee table before me, the last book he had written. The one that ended the Nikki Heat series once and for all, I hadn't read it yet.

I couldn't bring myself to; when it had been released I had gone down to the closest bookstore and bought it immediately. Staring at his picture on the back of it for the entire walk back to my apartment, yet I hadn't been able to open it.

I didn't want to know how things ended, how he had ended our story on his terms. I didn't want to know but every day I stared at the book, stared and stared until I went to bed.

That night as I lay in bed, my eyes fixed on the empty spot beside me all I could think about was him. How I just wanted to reach out and touch him, feel his warmth, enjoy the comfort of being held by him. But he wasn't here.

As I feel asleep memories of the time we had spent together drifted through my mind, each so very precious and longed for. I didn't just simply want him in my life; I needed him in my life.

He was the most important person that I had ever had in my life and I had tossed him aside.

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Staring at the paperwork on my desk the next day, I felt my eyes start to glaze over. Everything looked the same; I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to force myself to wake up. With every day that passed it was starting to get harder and harder to do.

To pretend that everything was okay, to pretend that I wasn't slowly dying on the inside.

I abruptly stood up, feeling energy surge through my body. I knew what I had to do, it was the only thing left for me. I walked out of my office, not caring that I was leaving a mountain of paperwork unfinished.

Not even ten minutes later and I was stepping foot outside the agency's building feeling lighter than I had in months. The warm rays of sunshine warmed me up, making me even more determined, more energized. With a brisk pace, I half jogged to my apartment, ideas running rampant in my mind.

I had to plan, to try and work out how to do things properly, but I couldn't come up with anything.

I wasn't normally one to wing things; just go through with something without consideration and careful planning. But I had to take a leap of faith with this, I just had to.

Enough time had been wasted, there was no more to waste, no time to plan and consider, and no time for backing out. I was doing this, I had to do this.

I didn't even bother to close the door to the apartment behind me; I changed hastily out of my dreary black suit, gathering a few things that I needed before I was out the door again.

I didn't pause for even a moment in my quest until I was seated in the plane bound for New York. Even then after running around for more than two hours, scrambling to get things in order, I was still restless. My stomach churned and before I knew it, I was emptying it out in the cramped little bathroom.

I was nervous, dreadfully so, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. Although I was sure of one thing it wasn't going to be pleasant at first, my actions had hurt him badly. Maybe he was even angry at me, for all I knew he could regret ever having met me; regret everything that we had ever shared together.

I just had to try though; I was willing to do whatever it took.

I shakily made my way back to my seat, my stomach still churning once I was back in my seat. I felt tense, scared, if not downright terrified, I could only pray that things worked out.

That I could make him understand, get him to forgive me even if I would never forgive myself for what I had done to not only him but us.

The night that he had found the boarding pass I had felt like a cornered animal ready to lash out and bite who ever came to close. I had been selfish and cruel, horrible towards him. From that night on things had just gotten worse and worse, a steady downward spiral that we couldn't get out of, one that I had caused.

I placed my hand on my stomach, trying to soothe it. I had no desire to throw up again.

The moment the plane landed, I was ready to jump out of my seat and run to the loft. Instead, I forced myself to remain calm taking in a few deep breaths, still the desire to get to him as quickly as possible remained firmly in place. I eagerly rushed out of the airport, hastily clambering into an awaiting cab. The address spilled out of my mouth without a second thought.

When the cab finally pulled up outside of the building what felt like an eternity later, I stumbled out of it, tossing a few notes at the driver. I dashed through the lobby, sparing a glance at the elevator to see that it was several floors up; I had no patience to wait for it. I shoved open the doors of the staircase, moving swiftly up them, my feet pounding on the steps.

My breath was catching in my chest not from exhaustion but emotion instead, I was nearly home. For the first time in three months I was close to him, my heart swelled rapidly, love blossoming in it freely. I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms, beg him to forgive me and rush him right to the court house so that we could be married.

I needed him more than I had ever needed anybody else; I hoped that he still loved me, that he still wanted a future with me despite how much I had hurt him. That he still had enough faith in us, in me, to take another leap of faith, this time with me. That he would be willing to try again, to give me another chance.

My head spun, elation building up inside of me. I had to make things right, I just had to.

Finally I reached his floor.

I banged my fist on the door, eager to just lay eyes on him. Over and over again I pounded on his door, straining my ears to hear if he was approaching. Again and again, my hand collided with the door.

But there was no answer.

I wanted to curl up in front of the door and wait for him, even if it meant him tripping over me on his way out in the morning. Instead I reached into my pocket, feeling around for a set of keys only to come up empty handed. I had left them in DC in my haste; I searched again through my pockets, panic starting to well up inside of me.

With trembling fingers I dialled his number, bringing the phone up to my ear, determined to see him, to speak to him as soon as possible. I heard a strangled gasp coming from my left; I whipped around ending my staring contest with the red and metal door, only for my eyes to land on him.

_Rick._

Finally, after three months of not seeing him he was before me. I wanted to run right up to him and cling with all my might onto him, but all I could do was stare into those deep blue eyes. So intense and piercing, they had always managed to hold me captive even when I hadn't wanted them to.

He wrenched his gaze away from me, now staring at his feet; I wanted him to look at me again. To look at me as he always had but he didn't. Tears welled in my eyes against my will but I done nothing to fight them, he looked so sad and defeated, and soaked to the bone.

It had been raining hard and clearly he had been out in the rain, his hair was plastered down across his head, his clothes clinging to him. A small puddle of water gathering around his feet and his lips were a faint blue.

"Rick." I hardly recognised my own voice; it was soft yet thick with emotion.

The moment I said his name, his eyes snapped up to mine. In an instant the sadness that I had seen moments before, the defeat, was gone instead anger now filled them.

"Rick please let me explain." I pleaded earnestly.

I had to get him to hear me out, the sooner the better. I had to talk to him now before his anger got the better of him, before we wouldn't be able to talk. All I needed was a chance for him to hear me out, to let me explain things and beg for another chance.

He walked right past me, not even sparing another glance my way. I shrunk in on myself, feeling invisible. I wanted to grab a hold of him and beg him to listen. But my arms wrapped around myself and I watched on silently as he entered the loft, closing the door firmly behind himself. It was clear that I wasn't invited, that he didn't want to have to deal with me and my selfish ways.

I walked towards the door, feeling clumsy as I stumbled over nothing but air. My hand reached up of its own accord, the same hand that reached across the bed every night for the last three months searching for him. I bowed my head against the door for a moment, resting my hand against the door knob.

I had to do this.

As I turned the door knob, I took a deep breath. I had to be strong, there was no more running away. I closed the door behind me as my eyes adjusted to the dark loft; he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, hugging himself. My heart ached at seeing him in so much pain.

Slowly I walked towards him, uncertain about what to do now that we were so close, now that I was in the loft and mere feet away from him. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down beside him, watching him closely. I was trying to find some sort of clue as to what I was supposed to do now, but I had nothing.

"Why are you here?" He asked several moments later, his voice was rough.

That raspy quality that I so loved waking up to reaching my ears, I didn't even have to think about my answer. Without a pause, I opened my mouth.

"I'm meant to be here, here and not somewhere else, not anywhere else." I answered without the slightest bit of hesitation. My voice was gentle, wanting to keep him at ease yet even I could hear the note of determination in it.

"I doubt that." He gritted out through clenched teeth.

My heart constricted painfully at his words, I had to make him believe me. I had to prove to him that what I was saying was true, that this was where I was meant to be, but words had never come easily to me. And even now, here I was unable to think of what to say.

"Rick, I know I made a mistake. I know that." My voice was soothing, that determination from earlier still lining my voice. "And I'm sorry, so sorry, but we can try again. I can try again, please just give me another chance. I can make this up to you."

Words spilled from my mouth without thought, sincere and apologetic words. But all he done was stare ahead, I grew more and more desperate. Pleading turned into begging as I watched him gaze ahead. Still he done and said nothing.

I watched as he blinked slowly, seemingly struggling to keep his eyes open. A shiver racked his frame, halting my words as I finally noticed that he was freezing. He was still in wet clothes.

I grabbed a hold of his arm, dragging him to his feet. He had to warm up before he got sick, as I watched him shiver and curl in on himself as we made our way to the bathroom, I couldn't help but to feel selfish yet again. Here he was freezing cold and all I had been doing was running my mouth.

I held onto him tightly as I led him through the study, into the bedroom. I longed to curl up in the bed with him, to simply hold and be held by him; it had been far too long since I had been here. It had been far too long since I had simply just been with him.

"Why?" He asked quietly, facing me fully.

"What?" I asked confused, not understanding what it was that he was asking.

"Why?" He repeated slowly, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts. "Why did you… Why wasn't I…?"

He trailed off, brow furrowing as he tried to voice what he was thinking. But I now understood what he was trying to ask, I could remember when we had just started our partnership he had been so very arrogant and cocky back then. It had been something that had annoyed and frustrated me, but now seeing how insecure he was, I longed for the days where he had been so self-confident and assured.

I knew that I had caused him to become so insecure, to doubt himself; my actions had led to this. I had been breaking him piece by piece, slowly but surely, and I hadn't even realized. Tears stung at my eyes again, but now wasn't the time to cry.

I had to get him warmed up afterwards we could talk, have a true heart to heart.

"Not now, first we need to get you warmed up." I muttered quietly, not able to meet his eyes as I started to unbutton his wet shirt.

I could feel his eyes on me, staring at me, wanting an answer to his question. A moment later he grabbed my hands, pulling them away from him. He spared me a brief glance before looking away, stepping away from me.

"Get out." His voice was quiet and strained.

Pain burst throughout me at his words, I immediately dropped my eyes to the floor. I left the bathroom, closing the door behind myself feeling dazed. I stared around the room helplessly, trying to gather my thoughts.

I had to endure; there would be no running from this. The time for running was well and truly over, I had made the decision to come here, to make things right between us. I wasn't about to give up not after only the first hurdle.

I stumbled my way into the living room, sinking down onto the comfortable couch where we had spent hours just cuddling and watching movies. Everything had been so easy back then, I had been happy but I hadn't allowed us the chance that we deserved. I had cut our happiness short.

I looked up as he came into the room, watching as his jaw clenched. But he remained silent, moving on into the kitchen without looking in my direction again. I quietly got up from the couch, following him wordlessly into the kitchen.

When he turned around, he almost dropped the cup of hot chocolate he had just made. I stared up at him, taking in every detail. I had missed him so much, the last three months hadn't been kind to me and from the look of things they hadn't been kind to him either. He had lost some weight, bags were under his eyes, and a look of scruffiness had settled about him.

"Rick please." My voice was thick with not only emotion but the remains of my tears that I had shed earlier while sitting on the couch.

He just stared at me for a moment, his eyes softening and turning a lighter shade of blue but it only lasted for a moment. A hard look took over his face, his jaw clenching slightly and his eyes darkening.

"I don't think there is anything left to say anymore." His voice was quiet when he spoke.

"But-"I interrupted feeling determination washing over me again.

"Enough Kate!" He shouted out seemingly losing his temper.

I was surprised, having seen him this way so very few times. He wasn't one to lose his temper; I stared dumbly at him for a moment. Flinching slightly in place as he threw the full cup into the sink, it broke into small little pieces but he ignored it completely as he glared down at me fiercely.

"You left, lied to me, kept secrets. You made your choice and got the final say." He growled out between clenched teeth. "So don't come here, into my home after three months of nothing on your side, after rejecting me and then tell me what I have to do."

"Please." My voice was soft once I finally managed to find it.

Several tense moments later that felt like hours to me, he let out a resigned sigh, his shoulders hunching as he stared down at the ground. His small nod was all the encouragement I needed to say my piece.

"This was something that I had never imagined happening for me before, this job was more than I thought I would ever be able to achieve in my career." My voice was soft and steady as I spoke. "And I wanted it so badly Rick, a new purpose, a grander achievement. It is a great opportunity just like I thought it would be, but DC isn't my home."

"I don't belong there, I don't belong somewhere were you aren't. I was clouded by my ambition, by the opportunity, I know that now. I just wanted it. And it cost me the one thing I wasn't willing to pay."

"I know that I'm not the easiest person, that I can be difficult. Keep things close to my chest and just, not share. I know that, but with you, I want to share. I want to open up. You were right that day on the swings, you do deserve more."

"You could find some beautiful uncomplicated woman in the blink of an eye who would love you fiercely, who wouldn't be nearly as difficult as I have been. But I know that neither one of us will ever be able to move on, not you and certainly not me."

"Just let me make it up to you, give me another chance. I promise that you won't regret it, won't regret me. Please Rick, I can make it alright again, just let me."

As I spoke my voice gained confidence, I could tell that I was capturing his attention more and more. He was staring at my face, taking me in completely as he simply watched me.

I had thought that I had gotten through to him, gotten him to understand but what I saw in his eyes changed my mind immediately. I placed my hand on his arm trying to get him back to the present with me and not lost in his thoughts, but he pulled away from me abruptly.

My heart shattered, he didn't want me touching him. He couldn't seem to stand my touch, I wanted to curl into a little ball and just be swallowed up by the ground.

"It's your life, right?" He asked his voice hard.

"Rick please, I was foolish. Scared, just…" I ended with a quiet sigh, running a hand through my hair in frustration as I tried to gather my thoughts. "I made a mistake that was one of them, it's our life. Not just mine, I know that now, please believe me."

My words were quiet, pleading and earnest. I needed him to believe me; I couldn't be without him for a moment longer.

"Three months of nothing, after rejecting my offer of marriage, the lies the betrayal, and you think just showing up at my doorstep with a few words is going to fix everything?" He asked incredulously, staring right at me.

"Rick…" My voice was unsteady; I was at a loss for words.

I was uncertain about what to say, about what to do. But I had to make this right, I just had to.

"Your right, I was right. I do deserve more." He voiced quietly, I could see determination filling up his eyes as he spoke.

"No wait, Rick, please… I…" I was floundering, completely aware that I was ill prepared for this conversation.

But there was still one more thing I had up my sleeve; I shoved my hand into my pocket fumbling as I pulled out the gold band. Stumbling to my knees as my nerves started to take over yet again; I stared up into his blue eyes.

"Marry me?" I asked my eyes pleading with him, my lips was trembling as I stared up at him.

He looked so very shocked; I imagined that I had looked the exact same way three months ago when he had asked me this very question.

I had bought the ring more than two months ago; I had been walking home after a dreary day at the agency. Lost in thoughts of Rick, which was nothing unusual, along the way home I had taken a wrong turn. When I had finally noticed, after being bumped by another pedestrian, I had looked around completely lost.

But I had gotten distracted yet again, as right across the street from me was a jewellery store. Its glittering windows and displays had drawn me in for some reason; I had made my way into the little shop. Moving straight to the engagement rings, I had spent more than ten minutes just staring at the diamond encrusted rings.

None of them had been nearly as beautiful or perfect as the one that he had offered to me. I had moved away from the rings, feeling tears forming in my eyes yet instead of leaving the shop, my eye had caught another display.

That day I had bought the simple gold band, going back three days later to pick it up as I had to wait for them to engrave it. 'Always' was engraved in an elegant script on the ring.

"Kate?" He asked sounding so very confused in this moment.

"Rick, the moment I got on that plane I knew that I had made a mistake. Hell, the moment I said no. When you get a hold of something good, of that special someone, you never meant to let go. But I did, I've regretted it every day since then. You, Rick, are my special someone, my one and done."

"I promise to be here no matter what, to keep in trying to earn your forgiveness, to be the woman that you deserve. I love you, am in love with you, and that will never change."

"Will you marry me?" I repeated breathlessly.

He stared down at me, mouth agape; I was on my knees before him with a ring in hand and asking him to marry me. I could see that he didn't know what to do but I remained quiet, just staring up at him as my heart thundered away in my chest like mad hoping and praying that he would say yes.

We locked eyes, him staring deeply into mine as I stared into his.

"Yes." His voice was rough with emotion. "Yes, I'll marry you."

My heart leapt for joy, I was both pleased and relieved at the same time. He had accepted my proposal, he had actually said yes. I could only stare up at him; my heart was welling up with love and pleasure. He had actually said yes, I could hardly believe it.

I got to my feet unsteadily feeling dazed with relief and happiness, he reached out to steady me and I felt even happier in that moment.

I knew that things weren't going to be fixed magically overnight, that we still had problems that we had to face. Things that we had to talk about, regrets that we had to overcome but now here was another chance. Here was another chance to do things the right way this time around.

I was going to hold onto it with both hands and never let it go, I was never going to let go of him again no matter what came our way.

"I love you." I whispered to him, staring into his eyes as I slid the ring into place on his finger.

A sense of rightness filled me in this moment, this was where I was meant to be, and this was who I was meant to be with. Not off on my own in DC but right here with Rick, this was the place I was meant to be.

And I would never give it up or take it for granted again; I would never give him up. It was high time that I learned to appreciate just what it was that I had, who I had. It was time that I appreciated the man who loved me so fully and was willing to forgive my foolishness. To appreciate the man who had never turned his back on me.

He stared down at our clasp hands held between our bodies, mine looked so very small tangled up with his. We fit each other perfectly, we always had.

"What now?" He asked softly, staring down at the gold band that I had just placed on his finger.

"I'm home, we home. I think it's time for our happily ever after." I breathed out quietly, still overwhelmed by everything that had just happened.

I swiped my finger against the ring gently, still in disbelief that he was wearing it, that I had finally given it to him. That it was where it belonged, that I was where I belonged once again.

"Here?" He asked wanting clarification, certainty.

"Yes, here." I answered firmly me voice softened as I continued to look at him. "Always."

"Always." He answered back, a promise as he looked into my eyes.

This was my home, there was nothing left for me in DC, no job to go back to as I had quit, the apartment that I had been staying in was cold and empty. This was where I belonged, with him.

He was my one and done, my always.

FIN.

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